The Voice
by hatesnicknames
Summary: Kagome is a priestess that is running to protect the Shikon no Tama from Naraku. I always wanted to know how Kagome and Inuyasha's love would blossom if Kagome wasn't able to do all the talking. No lemons, just a splash of lime.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. _

_Everything was burning. Fire engulfed every building. Fields were aflame. Women were screaming. Children were crying. Torment was all around. A mother was pulling her daughter into the bedroom and opening the large chest her father had given to her on her wedding day. She lifted the small girl and tucked her inside._

"_Kagome, do not leave from here until you do not hear anymore screaming, okay?"_

_The little girl nodded. Her mother gave her a small smile and kissed her forehead, trying to hide the tears she could feel leaving tracks down her face. She needed to be strong for her daughter._

_She closed the lid and stood, she focused all her energy on creating a barrier around the chest. The barrier would protect her from the fire until the threat had gone. After completing the barrier the woman walked towards the screen leading outside. Waiting for her in front of a wall of flames stood a man covered in shadows. All she could see were his piercing red eyes._

"_She belongs to me." He whispered with a terrible smile on his lips._

"_Naraku."_

_She did not wait for him to reply. She grasped an arrow from the quiver on her back with one hand and with the other reached for her bow that rested against a post beside her. As she released her arrow she knew it would hit the mark. While she watched her sacred arrow fly a look of triumph spread across Naraku's face. One of his disgusting tentacles lodged itself into her chest as her eyes flew wide. Naraku was struck in the heart by her sacred arrow but as her life drained away so did the power of her arrow. She knew just before she died that she had failed to defeat the foe. As she heard him cry out in pain she could do nothing but scream knowing that he would return. Her last thoughts were that he would most certainly be back… for Kagome._

Kagome screamed out into the night. She was dripping in a cold sweat and she couldn't stop shaking. Her breathing was ragged and she felt tears running down her cheeks.

'_The same dream.'_

She had dreamt of her mother's last moments ever since she could remember. She was only 3 when her mother had been killed and her own memories of that night are brief and unreliable. But her dreams have never let her forget. Most nights she kept herself from calling out but tonight's dream had been so vivid and so intense, she actually felt the tentacle worm its way into her mother's chest, into _her _chest because she always dreamt through the eyes of her mother. Tonight's dream had scared her more than ever before. She had never heard her mother's last thoughts before. She had never known that she believed Naraku would be returning. Kagome shook her head, making her long, ebony hair unfurl from the loose knot it was in to hang wild around her shoulders.

'_I must be going crazy, Naraku is never coming back. My mother made sure of that.'_

She climbed out of her sheets and walked over to the water bucket resting next to where her best friend, Sango, still slept. Her friend looked wonderfully peaceful when she slept and Kagome felt a pang of jealousy. To not be plagued by these nightmares would be heavenly. She constantly wondered why she could not escape them. No matter how many sleeping draughts her grandmother Kaede made for her she could never sleep through the night.

Kagome dipped her hands in the cool water and looked at herself in the reflection. She had large, brown eyes that clearly showed the stress of someone much older than she. During the day she could feel the laughter return to her eyes but at night, after those dreams, she felt as if her soul was ancient and it weighed heavily on her heart. She was beautiful. The men in the village were a constant annoyance to her.

She lived with her best friend Sango because they both were bothered daily by others advances. They had met the year after Kagome's mother was killed. Kagome had been living with her grandmother. Kaede had taken up the priestess position that she had once held before passing the title to her daughter. However, after Kagome's mother's passing, Kagome was too young to take on the role of village priestess so Kaede found herself needed once again. Kagome did everything she could to help and learned very quickly. Kaede had sent the young, four year old to find a healing herb that would be found along the river. Kagome dutifully went and saw another girl, knee deep in the water. She was bent forward slightly with her hands in the water up to her wrists. She was looking at the water between her hands with such focus that Kagome stopped and hid behind a bush to watch her. She waited for a few minutes, still wondering what that girl was doing. When finally she jumped out and yelled, "What are you doing you silly girl? That's no way to bathe!" The girl leapt up with a yelp and lost her balance. She fell backwards and Kagome ran to help her. Kagome offered the girl her hand, as soon as the girl grasped her wrist she flashed a smile and Kagome felt a yank; she fell forward and landed in the water. Kagome looked at the girl, she was staring at Kagome with a smirk on her pretty face, Kagome felt her own smile surface and they both started laughing. Kagome hadn't laughed since her mother died. She splashed the girl next to her and clutched her sides.

"My name is Sango."

"I'm Kagome."

"Sorry about yanking you down."

"It's okay. I haven't laughed like that in forever. What were you doing?"

"TRYING to catch a fish for dinner." Seeing Kagome's sad look Sango said, "… Wanna help?"

Kagome grinned, "Sure."

Since that day the two girls were inseparable. They both grew up to be very beautiful but they never found boys that the other girl deemed worthy of their friend. And they were usually right. One time Sango thought she met a boy that she could care for but Kagome saw something dark in him and she had been right, when Sango went to tell him she did not return his feelings he tried to force himself on her. Kagome came to her friends rescue and told the boy to never speak to Sango again, while holding a knocked arrow to his throat.

Kagome looked towards her sleeping friend again and smiled. Sango had helped her make it through her mother's death and Kagome had helped Sango when her father and brother were killed during a demon attack. They were as good as sisters. Now they shared a hut and did everything together. Kagome splashed some of the water at her friend and Sango woke with a start.

"Dammit Kagome! It's early."

"We need to find those 'flowers of the dawn' for grandmother, you promised you'd come, jerk."

Sango grumbled but stood up and started getting her gear together. Sango was a trained demon slayer so she always accompanied Kagome on her journeys for the older priestess. Sango wore a black and pink leather outfit with her hair tied in a long ponytail on top of her head. Kagome looked down at her own attire, a short, pale green kimono that went to her knees tied with a white obi. She left her hair down where it fell in waves to about her waist, just how she liked it. They had a quick breakfast and started out. They walked at a brisk pace, they wanted to be back before night fell again. They traveled in companiable silence until they found the mountain where Kagome knew the flowers grew. By the time they reached the base of the mountain dawn was approaching. As soon as the sun peaked over the mountain a beautiful field of flowers could be seen.

The girls smiled at each other. Kagome smirked at her friend then took off running through the field, Sango close behind. Eventually, exhausted, they rested in the gorgeous field of flowers.

Eventually, Kagome gathered a basketful, she wanted to leave for the village right away but Sango had other ideas in mind.

"There's a spring nearby and my feet are aching, let's relax for a while. We will still make it back to the village before dark."

Kagome agreed, she smiled at her friend and they walked towards the sound of water. The girls undressed and carefully folded their clothes near the water's edge. Once they were up to their necks they found cozy boulders to rest on and Kagome sighed in relaxation and closed her eyes.

"You had the dream again last night." It wasn't a question.

"I thought you were asleep."

"I always hear it when you yell out, Kagome. I wish I could help make them stop."

"Oh you worry too much Sango. They're just dreams. Besides I wouldn't be able to sleep fitfully anyways with the way you snore." Kagome grinned evilly at her best friend.

Sango humphed and splashed the young priestess. Kagome was determined to be strong and happy for her friend. She didn't need to see her in pain when she was awake; she saw it enough while she slept.

"What do you think the dreams mean, Kagome?"

Kagome sighed. Sango asked her this about once a week. Kagome guessed it was her own way of being supportive and giving Kagome the opportunity to talk about them if she wanted. She rarely wanted to, but last night's dream had been different then the last thousand times so she decided to tell her friend.

"Last night's dream was different.. I was still dreaming through my mother's eyes but this time I heard her last thoughts. She was terrified. She was so afraid because she KNEW that Naraku would be coming back." Kagome left out the part about coming back for her, she didn't want to worry her friend too much.

"That's impossible! Your mother destroyed him! He completely disappeared and you said yourself that she shot him with a direct hit from her sacred arrow! Nothing could survive an arrow from your mother." Sango was looking at Kagome with the same face that she had upon waking from her most recent nightmare. Sango was in disbelief and was begging Kagome to agree with her.

So Kagome smiled and nodded her head. "Of course Sango, I know that. You're right, and they're just dreams." Sango gave her a small smile in return and Kagome splashed her to make her relax. It worked and they were soon splashing each other and giggling just like they had when they first met. Sooner or later they climbed out of the spring, got dressed and headed back to the village. They were almost to the village when Kagome started singing. She loved to sing. Singing made her feel warm and free. Everyone always complemented her on her soothing voice, but honestly if her voice had been terrible she would have sung anyways just because of how good it made her feel.

In the middle of her song Sango whipped her head around and frowned.

"What's wrong Sango?"

"I smell smoke." Her eyes widened in shock as she saw the flames lapping over the trees ahead of them.

"The village!" They broke into a run.

"Grandmother!" Kagome dropped her flower basket so she could run faster. They were almost to the edge of the forest when Kagome heard someone call out.

"She is not here! You will not have her!"

Kagome was ready to dash out of the trees at the sound of her grandmother's voice but Sango pulled her arm and put her hand over her mouth as they huddled behind a tree. Kagome glared at her friend betrayal shining in her eyes but Sango's eyes begged her to stay calm and to wait. Kagome nodded and Sango released her grip on her mouth and arm. As the two women peered through the bushes from their hiding place they saw Grandmother Kaede, she was facing them and staring with a look of pure hatred. She wasn't looking at Kagome, she was staring at a very tall man who was facing away from them looking at Kagome's grandmother. He had long wavy black hair and broad shoulders. He was standing in a relaxed position with his hands folded behind his back. She noticed his hand were large but almost feminine looking, they seemed as if he had never gotten them dirty before, as if he never lifted a finger for himself. Kagome scoffed silently, she didn't trust the privledged, but she would have hated this man anyway just by seeing the way her grandmother was staring him down.

"She belongs to me." The sound of his voice, deep and forboding, made Kagome stiffen. She had heard that voice thousands of times, she couldn't breathe. She was frozen in her hiding place as she watched her grandmother pull an arrow from behind her back and knock it to her bow.

"You will never touch her!"

"I have waited 15 years to gather my strength and reform my body with demon energy. I have waited too long! Give me what is mine or I will burn this village to the ground and kill you all!"

Kaede was about to let loose an arrow, she knew it would not harm the beast, her daughter's and granddaughter's powers far exceeded her own, but she needed to cause any pain she could to this monster. Just as she was about to release the arrow a man approached behind her, using her to shield most of his body.

"She will be yours!" Kaede stared at the man in shock.

"Give us til tomorrow night and she will be waiting for you at the village entrance! Please leave the village alone! Please!"

"No! He will never have Kagome!"

"Silence.." Naraku spoke and everything went quiet. The fire on the buildings disappeared as a strong gust of wind wrapped around the village.

"Tomorrow night. I will return. Do not disappoint me." His eyes shifted from the quivering man back to Kaede. He smirked and then disappeared as another gust of wind surrounded them.

Kagome ran out from the bushes to her grandmother with Sango on her heels. She could feel the tears on her face as she fell on her knees in front of her grandmother. Her eyes searched the old priestess looking for any sign of injury. The old woman placed her hands on either side of Kagome's face.

"I'm fine child. Go inside. Now."

"But grandmother, was that Naraku?"

"Yes. Go inside I will explain everything." Kagome nodded and stood up, she grabbed Sango's hand and ran inside their hut.

Kaede looked at the man kneeling next to her, still trembling with wide eyes, she scoffed at him and he looked up to meet her gaze. "I had too. Tell her I am sorry for her fate."

Kaede did not respond as she turned and headed into the hut where her granddaughter waited.

Kagome burst through the hanging door and fell onto the wooden floor in front of the fire. She was shaking. She had recognized that horrible man's voice.

"Naraku.."

She could hear her mother whispering his name, her voice laced with fear and determination. Her dream last night had tried to warn her of his return. He was back just as her mother feared. He was back.. For her.

"But why?" she said aloud.

"Because child. You are the keeper of the jewel."

Kagome started. "Grandmother?" Kaede walked fully inside the hut. She sat beside the fire and wrapped her arms around Kagome. Sango was inside the hut but was guarding near the door. Nobody would lay a hand on her best friend.

"Naraku has been after you since your birth. Your father was a nobleman in the village when he fell in love with the village's priestess."

"Mother."

"Yes, child. Your mother was an amazing priestess. She gave this village hope and everyone loved her. Including your father. He convinced her of his worth and they married. You were born shortly after. Right after your birth your mother was holding you close to her chest. Only she and I were in the delivery hut as we watched you sleep."

Kagome listened in silence. She had never heard her grandmother speak of her birth.

"All of the sudden your chest emmited a strange pink glow. Your mother gasped and gazed at you with wide eyes. 'The Shikon no Tama.' She whispered. I understood immediately. You see when I was a child I had a sister. Her name was Kikyo. She was a priestess. She was beautiful and incredibly powerful. She was also the guardian of the Shikon no Tama."

"But what does Kikyo have to do with me?"

"She is you, child. You are her reincarnation."

Kagome's eyes went wide. Sango looked over at the two women from her position at the door and asked, "How do you know Kaede-sama?"

"Because of the glow when Kagome was a babe. You see, Kikyo was killed, by none other than Naraku himself." Kaede frowned as she said the name. His name tasted bitter in her mouth. "Kikyo discovered an injured man in the river, he was burned all over his body. She brought him to a cave outside the village and tried to care for him. He told her his name was Onigumo. Sometimes I would accompany my sister to the cave to help her care for the poor man. During one of these times I naively asked my sister if she thought the shikon no tama could help heal his injuries. I was young and did not yet understand the need to keep the existence of the jewel a secret. She shot me a glare and shook her head once. One morning I saw my sister awake with a start. She grabbed her sacred arrows and ran to the cave that held Onigumo. He was gone and in his place stood the man you saw today. I chased after my sister and heard her ask, "Who are you? I can feel the evil rolling off your flesh."

"My name is Naraku."

"Where is Onigumo?"

"He is no more. I am what remains. I feel great power from you priestess. Tell me, what is the Shikon no Tama?"

Kikyo's eyes widened and she knocked an arrow and pointed it at the monster's heart. "You will not touch the jewel."

Naraku wasted no time; he shot a tentacle out from under his robes at the priestess. Kikyo obviously wasn't expecting such an attack but she was able to jump to the side and dodge his blow. She fired her arrow but missed. Naraku moved toward Kikyo and shot more tentacles at her until he had them wrapped around her entire form. I couldn't take anymore I ran out from the bushes that I was hiding and pointed an arrow at the thing that held my sister. I was nowhere my sister's equal at archery but I had been practicing and I begged the arrow to make contact. It hit him in the stomach and he barely flinched. But he did loosen his hold on the priestess so that she could stab him with the point of the arrow in her hand. He released her and she ran out of his reach. He looked towards me and released a deadly chuckle. He shot a tentacle towards me as I stood frozen in fear. I heard my sister yell.

"Kaede!" She ran towards me and jumped in front of Naraku's attack. The tentacle entered through her back. I saw her eyes fly open wide and her shout of pain.

"Sister!"

Kikyo stayed on her feet and quickly released an arrow at the beast. In her weakened state the arrow didn't fly true and only hit Naraku in the arm. With the power of the sacred arrow it was still a serious wound and with a glare at my sister Naraku fled. Kikyo fell to her knees in front of me. With the last of her energy she pulled the jewel from around her neck and made me promise to burn the jewel with her body.

"No, sister! Please! I am sorry!"

"Shh.. Kaede… Do not apologize for the actions of a monster. Goodbye sister."

Kaede had been staring past Kagome into the fire as she spoke.

"She died in my arms. We burned her body with the jewel and we did not hear from Naraku again. I figured that he died from the wound my sister gave him."

Kagome released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding and hugged her grandmother close. Kaede squeezed her granddaughter then pushed her back to look at her face.

"The glow inside of you is the Shikon no Tama that returned to the world just as my sister's soul returned.. with you. You are the new protector of the jewel. Naraku returned to the village when you were three. He had heard rumors of the reincarnation of the priestess he had once killed and hoped that you meant the return of the jewel he had once lost. He attacked the village and when he saw you hiding behind your mother he could sense your power and knew you to be the reincarnation. His power had grown and he could sense that you held his long coveted jewel. Who else but the dead priestess' reincarnation could hold the jewel?"

Sango interrupted now and yelled with impatience. "Why does he want this stupid jewel?"

"The jewel can grant the wish of the holder. He desires its power. But he cannot use the jewel in its current state."

This made Kagome's brow furrow. "It's current state?"

"Yes child. The jewel is currently pure in your body. It is untainted and therefore an evil, disgusting soul like Naraku could never even touch it."

"So he intends to steal me from my village and take the jewel? Why doesn't he just kill me and take the jewel? Why take me alive? Wouldn't my death defile the jewel?"

Kaede took a deep breath and shook her head. She looked into her granddaughter's eyes before she spoke again.

"Just your death would not be enough or the jewel would have become tainted after my sister was killed. Child he wants you alive because through your defilement he can taint the pure jewel and take it for himself. He intends to make you suffer and through your pain and fear the jewel will blacken and will leave your body. It will seek evil and give itself to Naraku."

Kagome was staring at her grandmother barely shaking her head. She could feel silent tears tracking down her face. She looked up at her friend; Sango looked afraid but also fiercely determined.

"He will not take you Kagome! I would never let him." Sango left her post at the door and ran to Kagome throwing her arms around the shaking girl. Kaede put her arms around the two women as they held each other until Kagome relaxed. Kagome shook herself from their grip and looked at her friend and grandmother. She knew that they would do anything to try to save her. She knew that they would give their lives for her. They didn't understand though. Kagome had witnessed Naraku's ruthlessness, she had felt his horrible power every night while she slept. She knew that they did not stand a chance against this monster. She would not allow them to die for her. She gave them a small smile and wiped her eyes of tears.

"Thank you Sango, and thank you grandmother for telling me everything. I am sorry but I feel overwhelmed and exhausted. Please I need to sleep." She stood up and moved to the corner of the hut where she slept. She knew she would have to wait until Sango and her grandmother fell asleep and then she would make her move.

Kagome knew that Naraku wanted her, wanted the jewel, not the village. He didn't care about the village. If she went to him then he would leave the village alone and she would save all of their lives. She knew what she would be walking into. Ever since she lied down after hearing her grandmother's explanation she had been meditating and trying to feel the Shikon no Tama's power within her. She could now sense the power and purity of the jewel and knew what it would take to defile such a power. She knew there would be much suffering before the end.

Kagome looked over at the sleeping form of Sango sitting up with her back against the far wall and her grandmother sleeping in her bed beside the fire. She saw the determination in their faces to protect her even as they slept.

"I can't let him hurt them."

With that, she rose from her blankets and walked slowly out the door.

Once she was outside the village she looked up at the crescent moon. She was still wearing the same green kimono from yesterday with her bow and arrows slung on her back. She sighed and started running. She ran to protect her family and to save them from their fate. She would not allow herself to be taken without a fight but she would not allow that fight to involve those she loved. She did not know where Naraku would be hiding so she just ran aimlessly. Just before dawn she stopped, she was too exhausted to run further. She fell to the ground and laid their panting. Her lungs burned and her heart felt heavy with sadness.

She was terrified. She wanted desperately to protect those she loved but she was afraid of what Naraku would do to the village if she couldn't find him before nightfall. She sat up and looked around trying to get her bearings as the sun came over a nearby mountain. The ground around her began to change color as hundreds of beautiful flowers sprang up from the ground. She realized she was back at the field of 'flowers of the dawn' that she and Sango had come the previous morning. 'Gods was that only yesterday?' Kagome couldn't believe everything that had happened in the last day. She started to replay it all in her head and before she knew it she was shaking and sobbing. She felt weak and mad at herself.

"Are you giving up already?" A voice echoed through the field.

Kagome looked up and saw the form of a beautiful woman in miko robes. Her hair was long and dark just like Kagome's. She had dark, intense brown eyes and she was staring at Kagome with a frown.

"Who are you?" Kagome did not feel threatened by this women, in fact she felt safer in her presence but that did not mean she trusted her. Kagome stood up and backed away slowly from the woman.

"My name is Kikyo." The woman stated simply.

Kagome started and looked at the woman with renewed interest. She did look very familiar. She could see shadows of her mother and herself in the face of this woman. She definitely could be who she said she was.

"But Kikyo is dead."

"I am only a spirit. My soul has remained in the world to ensure the protection of the Shikon no Tama. The very thing you run to give that monster."

"I am not giving it to him!" Kagome's anger flared. How dare she presume that she was giving up and actually _helping _that monster.

"Then you expect to defeat him in battle? Win where I could not?"

"I have to try! He would kill everyone I love. I need to protect them. I needed to keep them safe.. and away from me." The last part of her sentence had drifted to a whisper. Kagome had never felt more alone.

"Then make a wish." Kagome's eyes shot to the dead priestess.

"What? A wish?"

"The jewel grants the wish of the person who holds it. You cannot wish for Naraku's destruction unfortunately; I tried that in the last moments of our battle and the jewel did not have the strength. He is too powerful to merely be wished away. However, you can wish for the protection of your village."

Kagome dared to hope that her family could actually be safe.

"They would be protected?" she whispered.

"The jewel would create a barrier around the village and would protect all of the people inside it. As long as the jewel remains untainted they would be safe."

"But what if they left the village barrier? To hunt or gather herbs that don't grow in the village?"

"They would no longer be protected. To wrap each individual in their own permanent barrier is too much for the jewel to handle on its own."

"On its own? Can't I help it?"

The dead priestess was quiet for a moment, thinking. "If you were to give something up that was precious to you and sacrifice it to the jewel then it could be done."

Practically begging Kagome yelled, "Anything! I would give anything! They are everything to me please! Protect them!"

Kikyo looked at her reincarnation and gave her a small smile.

"Your voice."

"My voice?"

"Yes, sacrifice your voice to the jewel. Use the power of your words to protect your loved ones. As long as the jewel remains pure your friends will be protected. If the jewel is tainted the barrier will break."

Kagome put her hand to her chest where she knew the jewel lay. She could feel its power flare in anticipation of her decision. Sango and her grandmother's face flashed before her eyes.

"Okay. How do I do it?"

"Make your wish and believe it. Draw out the power of the jewel and feel the love of those you wish to protect."

Kagome closed her eyes and envisioned the entire village wrapped in a protective pink glow. She saw all the villagers wrapped in the same aura. Everything and everyone glowed bright for a moment and then the light faded.

"Please, I wish to protect my people."

The light in her vision returned. She felt heat radiating from her chest. Kagome yelled out and then with the vision of her people finally protected, she collapsed.

Kagome awoke from a terrible pain in her throat. She sat up and rubbed her neck trying to recognize her surroundings. She was still in the field of flowers but night had fallen again and the beauty of the field was gone.

'Nightfall!' Kagome tried to speak outloud but the pain in her throat intensified and no sound came out of her mouth. Then she remembered the trade she had made to intensify the power of the jewel. Her eyes widened at the memory and she looked around wildly for the priestess Kikyo, but she quickly realized she was alone in the field.

She wanted to trust the jewel's power but she knew she had to return to the village and make sure. She started running. Finally she reached the forest's edge on the far side of the village. She could hear Naraku bellowing outside the entrance.

"Where is she? Bring me MY JEWEL!"

"You cannot enter!" Kagome saw her grandmother and Sango standing before the evil man. "Kagome has used the power of the jewel to protect us and she has vanished! Never return! You will never find her!"

Naraku shot his tentacles towards the old priestess and hit a strong barrier. He was thrown backwards. He looked up at Kagome's grandmother with a terrifying smile.

"I'll find her. She belongs to me!"

With that he disappeared. Kagome did not stay any longer. She knew that they were safe and now the only way to keep them that way was to keep the jewel pure. She had to stay hidden away so he wouldn't find her.

Kagome started running towards the stream. She followed the water all the way up river for miles. She walked for days, she mostly walked in the river to cover her tracks. After 3 days without stopping she saw a clearing surrounded by tall trees. A few fawns were running with their mother and rabbits were hopping looking wonderfully carefree. Kagome sighed and collapsed onto the ground out of exhaustion.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

_Kagome started running towards the stream. She followed the water all the way up river for miles. She walked for days; she mostly walked in the river to cover her tracks. After 3 days without stopping she saw a clearing surrounded by tall trees. A few fawns were running with their mother and rabbits were hopping looking wonderfully carefree. Kagome sighed and collapsed onto the ground out of exhaustion._

Only a mile away a rustling is heard from the branch of a tall tree. Inuyasha lifted his head in the air and took a deep breath in through his nose. His ears twitched atop his head. He leapt from the branch and landed nimbly on the balls of his feet. He set off immediately at a breakneck pace after his prey. He could smell the deer and he raced to catch his dinner. He smirked in anticipation as was about to break through the trees into the clearing where he knew the deer were grazing. He sniffed once more and froze in his tracks. He took another deep breath in through his nose and his entire body relaxed.

'Gods that scent.'

He immediately stiffened again in surprise. How could a scent relax him so much and in the middle of a hunt? He hid behind a tree on the edge of the clearing. The deer completely forgotten. He followed his nose with his gaze to find the source of the scent. His eyes flew wide in surprise to see a figure lying in the tall grass at the edge of the clearing. He scurried up the nearest tree to look down at the human from above.

It was a woman. A beautiful woman. Inuyasha shook his head at that last thought. Who cares what she looks like? He took in another deep breath as the scent of lavender and honey wrapped itself around him. His body relaxed again and his eyes almost closed. He snapped them open again and growled.

'She must be some kind of demon. Using her scent to subdue me.'

She doesn't look like a demon. And her scent does _seem_ human.

'Unlike any human I've met before' He mentally 'Keh'd' himself. Like a hanyou has met that many humans. I'm sure there're hundreds more just like her. With that he looked away from her and crossed his arms, his hands hidden in his sleeves. After a few seconds, almost against his will, his eyes shifted back to her sleeping form.

She was lying on her back with one arm down at her side and the other bent at the elbow resting next to her face with her palm facing upwards. Her ebony hair was fanned all around her. Her eyes were closed and her cheeks were flushed. Her mouth was slightly open. Inuyasha found himself entranced by the sight of her lips. He felt his gaze drop lower to her chest and watched as her breasts moved gently up and down with her breath. He immediately blushed a fierce red and ripped his gaze away from her sleeping form. He told himself he was just checking to make sure she was still breathing he wasn't some hentai. After a few seconds he couldn't stop himself from looking back at her. He took a deep breath and savored her sweet smell. He sat back against the tree and gazed at her face. He focused on her closed eyes and wondered what color they would be when she opened them.

That immediately shook him free of his revery. 'Who cares what color her stupid eyes are, baka? She would look at you just like everyone else in the world does. With fear and repulsion. Stupid hanyou. Haven't you learned anything yet?' He glared in self-disgust and moved back to a more secluded tree. He kept her in sight though, he didn't understand it but he wanted to make sure this girl stayed safe. It was probably just because she looked so stupid lying in the grass like that with no protection and no villages for miles. He would watch her until she woke up then he would go catch dinner. At that last thought his stomach growled. 'Baka girl, making me miss dinner.'

She could hear birds chirping and the faint bubbling of a nearby stream. She felt something sharp digging into her back so she rolled to her side and reached behind her. She pulled a large stick out of the ground and angrily threw it to the side all without opening her eyes. She laid back down and let the sounds of the stream relax her. Even in her completely exhausted state she had still been plagued by nightmares of Naraku. Her dreams now included all her own memories of Naraku's terrifying smiles and his evil voice. She raised her hand up to her chest where the jewel rested. She took a deep breath imagining the faces of Sango and her grandmother. She already missed them. She felt a single tear escape at the thought of never seeing them again.

She shook her head and snapped open her eyes. She needed to be stronger than that. There wasn't any room for self-pity. She needed to stay alert, she needed to keep them safe and keep the jewel from Naraku.

She sat up and stretched her arms above her head. She stood up and walked the short distance to the stream.

Inuyasha watched as the girl started to frown in her sleep. Her face crumpled as if in pain. Her head shook from side to side and she opened her mouth as if to speak but winced and her hand shot unconsciously to her throat. Inuyasha was stunned watching the girl dream. His claws dug into the bark of the tree next to him as if needing to hurt whatever was trying to harm this girl. She started to shake and he could smell her fear. Her smell laced with terror was agonizing to him. He couldn't stop himself as he jumped from the branch he was sitting on and carefully walked towards the girl. When he was at her side he saw her tiny hands clenched into fists at her side. He slowly reached down; his eyes never leaving her face and gently touched the back of one of her closed fists. As soon as he touched the girl she stopped shaking and her body relaxed. Her face returned to the peaceful expression he had first seen. Again he couldn't help himself as he reached forward and gently touched her faintly flushed cheek.

Almost the second he had made contact with her skin a deer shot through the clearing. Its sudden presence brought Inuyasha to his senses. He leapt back from the girl almost falling in his hurry to get away from her. To escape this unsettling feeling he got when he looked at her.

'She must be some kind of demon.' He thought to himself. He frowned and leapt back into his tree to watch her.

He watched as she began to stir. He smiled and almost laughed outloud when she angrily threw the stick that had been digging into her back. To think that such an angel could have a temper… 'Wait. ANGEL? What is happening to me? Baka baka baka!'

The smell of salty water hitting his nose broke him from his self-depracating rant. Was she crying? He saw a single tear escape her still closed eyes. He felt his heart convulse and he could feel himself shake. He whimpered outloud at the sight of her crying.

'I did not just whimper.' Then she surprised him by sitting up and angrily wiping the tear away just as she had earlier throw the blasted stick.

'She definitely has a temper.'

She stood up and started to walk toward the river that he knew was nearby. As she walked away from him he couldn't help but stare at her. Her hips swayed easily running her hands through her silky hair. His eyes darkened and he felt his whole body reacting to the sight of her. She walked with determination but he could see in the way her hands shook and her scent that she was afraid.

Her scent shifted and he recognized the new scent all too well. The scent she now carried had become a part of his own soul ever since his mother died all those years ago. The girl smelled… lonely.

When she was almost out of sight he felt his stomach clench and his body demanded that he moved to keep her in sight. He leapt from the branch again and shot up into another tree on the other side of the clearing. From here he watched her hop over a fallen log and walk slowly to the river's edge. She kicked her sandals off and put her feet in the water. He watched her take a deep breath and close her eyes and wiggle her toes. Inuyasha was completely raptured by her every movement. He wanted to know what she was thinking. Why was she lonely? What was she doing unconscious in a grass field, miles away from any village? He needed to know. He wanted to leap down and make his presence known and ask her a hundred questions.

'Baka, you would only scare her. Why would she trust a hanyou? She would probably scream and run in terror.'

She would never tell him anything he desperately wanted to know. She would be just like everyone else that had ever seen him. She would look at him with disgust. She would be no different.

Inuyasha started to turn away preparing to leap out of the tree and get far away from the girl that would surely hate him. When he heard the girl's stomach rumble, loud. She grabbed her stomach and giggled. Then her hands flew to her mouth and she smiled. This girl was so odd. He decided he would stay and make sure she found food.

Kagome's aching feet were immediately soothed by the cool water. What she thought was a bubbling stream had actually turned out to be a very swift moving river. She could see fish swimming a few feet in front of her. The fish reminded Kagome of her grandmother's delicious cooking. Her stomach grumbled. Loud. Her hands flew to her complaining stomach and she giggled. 'I giggled? Huh, I guess I can make some sounds.' The thought made her smile because what was life if she couldn't laugh? She felt a little bit of hope blossoming in her heart. She would protect her people and she would keep the jewel from Naraku's grasp. She could do this. She would not fail them.

'But dinner first.' She put her sandals back on and gathered up some firewood. She cleared a space on the ground and organized the wood. Then she used the bit of flint and steal that she had brought from her village to start a fire. She looked out at the river and gathered up her courage to face the cold water. She removed her sandals again and waded out into the freezing water. The water was moving quickly and soaked the bottom edges of her kimono. She found a solid place to stand and leaned forward, dipping her hands in the river. She thought of Sango and remembered the first time they met. Sango had since then taught her how to catch fish with her bare hands. She waited and waited. And finally she felt something wiggle between her palms. She quickly grasped its slippery scales and threw the fish to the shore. She grinned and leaned down again to trap another.

She felt another fish swimming near her right leg. She moved to reposition herself but slipped on a moss covered stone. She tried to throw her hand down to regain her balance but accidently slammed it onto a large rock in the river. She cried out as she felt her wrist snap. She threw her legs out in front of her to try and gain her footing but the current was too quick. It pulled her down river. She struggled to think through her panic and the pain shooting up her arm. She bit down on her lip and tasted blood. She saw a large rock in front of her and she threw her foot underneath it to stop her momentum. It worked for a second but she quickly realized that her foot was now lodged under the boulder. The river continued to pull her upper body. She whipped around the side of the rock and she felt a sharp pain from her ankle stuck under the boulder. She was pulled under the water and she struggled to free her foot and get back to the surface. She was panicing. She couldn't reach her foot, the current was too strong. She couldn't hold her breath any longer. She tried once more to reach her foot but in her panic she smacked her head against the large boulder that had her pinned. Her vision blurred and the last thing she saw before she lost consciousness was a blur of red and silver.

The girl lay unconscious, resting on her back beside the fire. He had watcher her enter the river and shiver at the cold. The sight of her shiver made his body shake in response. He grinned as he watched her capture the descently sized fish. She bent to capture another and then everything happened as if in slow motion. He saw her slip and heard the sickening sound of bones snapping. He saw her almost vanish beneath the water. He leapt off the branch and sprinted down the side of the river. He saw her throw her leg under a boulder and watched her struggle to stay above water. He could smell her terror and her panic. He was almost there! All of the sudden she swung her head and hit the boulder. He could smell her blood and his eyes flashed red, but returned to gold once he had lifted her upper body out of the water and tucked her head against his chest. He gently reached down and dislodged her foot. He picked her up bridal style and ran with her to the fire she had started earlier. He laid her down so she could feel its warmth. She was breathing normally and he could smell that she hadn't inhaled any water. Inuyasha looked down at her face and gently brushed her wet hair from her face. She had bitten her lip and it was swollen and bleeding. His eyes flashed red again and he couldn't control his urge to bend down and lick the blood off her lip. He pulled himself away with a groan and watched the wound on her mouth heal from the healing properties in his saliva.

'Kami she tastes good.' He frowned and mentally smacked himself. 'Baka! You practically kissed her!' He leapt to the other side of the fire and watched the girl. He heard his own stomach growl and saw the fish she had caught earlier. 'I'm not gonna eat her dinner, but I geuss I could cook it for her. She'll probably be hungry when she wakes up.'

Inuyasha returned to the river and caught three more fish. He cleaned all four fish and skewered them on long sticks. He cooked the fish and ate two of them. She still hadn't woken up and he was starting to worry about her wrist. He could tell her ankle was just a mild sprain and would be fine in a few days. Her wrist however was clearly broken and was swelling quickly. Her head had stopped bleeding quickly and he wasn't too worried about it but he was afraid that if she didn't set her wrist that there could be permanent damage. He walked back over to her side sat down next to her. He swallowed his nerves and lifted her head onto his lap. His hands were shaking as he stroked her hair.

"Oi, wench. Wake up." He cringed. Smooth Inuyasha.

Her brow furrowed. She snuggled in closer to his lap and her features relaxed again. She breathed in deeply and sighed. Inuyasha nearly leapt up out of surprise. She was actually snuggling into him? A fierce pain shot threw him when he reminded himself that she wouldn't be doing this if she was awake. He wiggled out from under her and laid her head back down on the ground. He moved back to the other side of the fire. Her brow furrowed again and she groaned. His hands twitched at the sound of her pain. Her eyes fluttered and gradually opened. She groaned again as she tried to sit up. She mistakenly tried to use her injured hand to push herself up and she cried out again as the pain lanced through her arm.

"Careful, Baka!"

Kagome's eyes snapped open wide looking for the source of the voice she had just heard. The pain in her wrist was excruciating but momentarily forgotten as she gazed upon the boy across from her. He was wearing a large red Hakama and was sitting with his legs crossed and both hands hidden in his sleeves. He had flowing silver hair and perfect pale skin. Two soft, adorable dog ears were twitching on top of his head. She met his eyes and her whole body melted. His eyes were liquid gold and for a moment she let herself drown in them. She realized that his face was tense and he had a worried look etched into his features. As soon as this registered his face shifted to indifference and he looked away from her.

She opened her mouth to ask his name and to ask if he had saved her from the river. The now familiar pain flared in her throat and she closed her eyes and grabbed her neck with her good hand.

Inuyasha's eyes flickered back to the girl when he saw her open her mouth to speak to him. He had looked away because he was afraid to see that look of disgust on her face. He looked at her now and she parted her smooth lips, they still glistened from where he had licked them. Her face crumpled in pain and her hand shot to her throat.

"Are you in pain?" He asked. His concern for her plain in his voice. He mentally berated himself for sounding like such a weakling.

Her eyes met his and he saw loneliness and sadness in her eyes. She didn't look afraid though or disgusted either. She looked… like she wanted to say something.

"Well? Speak up."

She cringed. She lifted her chin and pointed to her throat.

He looked at her in confusion. She rolled her eyes at him and he smirked.

"You have quite the temper don't you?"

She glared at him and he laughed out loud.

She couldn't help but smile a little at his laugh. He was the most handsome, and rude, man she had ever met. But she knew she wanted to make him laugh again. She wanted to know his name.

She wished that she had let her grandmother teach her to write when she was younger. She could have written her question in the dirt or something but oh well. All she could do was stare at him and wait for him to speak again.

Inuyasha was shocked when he heard himself laugh. He hadn't laughed in years. He had started to wonder if he actually _could_ laugh anymore. She smiled at his laughter. Had he been standing he would have gone weak at the knees. Her smile was amazing. He would have killed a thousand demons to see that smile again. But now she was just staring at him and she hadn't answered his question.

He was still worried about her wrist so he tried again.

"How's the wrist? It looks broken."

She seemed to have forgotten her pain for a minute because once he mentioned the wrist a surprised look crossed her features and she forcibly pulled her eyes from his gaze to look at her limp wrist. He watched in amazement as she carefully cradled her hand inspecting the break. Before he could even move he saw her grab her palm and twist the wrist violently.

She bit down on her lip hard. '_DAMN_, that hurt.' She cried out and thought oddly that she could both laugh and scream. She knew that the wrist needed to be reset and she hated prolonging pain so she just did what needed to be done without thinking. Her arm was on fire. She tasted blood again. And she opened her eyes to see her vision obscured by tears. She saw red and silver, blurry, but very close to her. She blinked away the liquid in her eyes to see liquid gold gazing into her eyes only inches from her face. She could feel his warm breath tickling her face. He was gently holding her injured wrist between his hands. She could feel his fingers making small smoothing circles on her palm. His touch soothing her pain and her body relaxed. She took a deep breath and bit back a moan.

'Gods he smells good.' He smelled like sunshine and the forest after it rains. His scent immediately relaxed her further and she struggled to keep her eyes open. She did not want to break the magic that held his gaze to hers.

He stared into her deep brown eyes. He could see rays of gold hidden in their brown depths. He had never seen such beautiful eyes in his life. He had been so shocked when she reset her own wrist that he jumped to her side and grabbed her injured hand. He could feel her breath on his face and he almost whimpered at the smell of her so close to him. He knew he should back up or at least look away but his body wouldn't move if he wanted it too.

"What's your name?" The words tumbled from his mouth before he could stop them. Why would she want to tell him her name? He was just a hanyou. Nobody. But he waited, praying that she would answer him. She wasn't backing away from their close proximity either and that fact gave him a little hope.

She could see the fear in his eyes, they were begging her to answer his question. She automatically opened her mouth to speak and the pain shot through her through again and her eyes closed in response.

"Why do you keep making that face when you try to say something?"

She opened her eyes to look at him.

Why wasn't she answering him? He wasn't even good enough to hear her damn name? He saw her open her mouth to speak and his heart fluttered. But then she cringed and he could smell something different about her, was she in pain?

"Keh'. You don't hafta answer anyways."

Her eyes opened. He was shocked by what he saw in their depths. Her eyes were pleading. They begged him for understanding. She lifted her chin and pointed to her throat again. He looked at her confused again and she grabbed one of his hands with her uninjured arm. She brought his clawed fingers up to her throat. She shivered when their skin met. She was probably terrified of his claws. But when her eyes met his again she didn't seem frightened. She opened her mouth to say something again and he felt a white hot heat from her throat. He pulled his hand back and gasped. Every time she tried to say something her throat erupted in flames. He looked at her and for the first time in his life he felt pity for someone. For some reason she couldn't speak.

He quickly withdrew his hand from her throat when he felt the heat that shot threw her throat. She prayed that he would understand why she wasn't able to answer his questions. She couldn't explain it but she wanted this man to know more about her. She wanted to tell him everything. She felt so relaxed with him near her. She trusted this stranger so much it was frightening.

"Are you hungry?"

She snapped out of her thoughts at his question. She smiled and nodded her head 'yes'. He stood up and walked over to the fire. He picked up two cooked fish and handed them both to her. She glanced at him and offered him one. He looked at her with surprise and shook his head. "I ate mine already while you were knocked out."

She ate the fish quickly. They were delicious. She licked her fingers clean and stared at the boy while he stared at her.

He watched her eat at lightning speed. She must have been starving. He still couldn't believe that she had offered him her fish. Nobody had offered him anything since his mother died. This girl was nothing like anyone he had ever seen before. Not only was she absolutely beautiful but she seemed so pure. She seemed so kind and brave. He wanted to know everything about her. 'Baka, don't say anything stupid. You'll scare her off'

She was still staring at him. She carefully scooted closer until she was sitting right beside him. She pushed herself up onto her knees facing him. He was shocked when she reached up and gently touched his ears. He gasped and shot up to his feet in shock. She was frozen there still sitting on her knees in front of him.

She looked up at the man standing in front of her. She wasn't able to resist she NEEDED to see if his ears were as soft as they looked. He looked like he was going to die of shock. His eyes could not have flown any wider.

She laughed outloud. She couldn't help it he looked so silly like that. She clutched her sides as her body rocked with laughter.

The sound of her laugh made him relax and smile. He knelt down in from of her again. She stopped laughing when she saw him so close to her again. She had never let a man get this close to her before, but she felt entirely safe with this stranger. She reached up again to touch his ears. Determined to feel them properly. She touched them gently searching his eyes for any type of disapproval. She saw that he looked wary but not upset so she massaged them gently. His eyes closed and he leaned into her touch. She smiled gently and after a few minutes she released his ears and sat back on her feet.

He opened his eyes slowly to see her sitting back and smiling up at him.

"Are you afraid?" He couldn't help it. He needed to know what she was thinking. Why did she touch his ears? She must know what he was. Why wasn't she afraid or disgusted? What was wrong with her?

She frowned at his question. She tentatively reached up and touched the side of his face. She could see everything so plainly written in his eyes. She saw his fear and pain. She saw a soul that had been beaten and rejected by everyone. She knew he was a hanyou. She had heard the other villagers talk about the half-demons. She was raised to help everyone equally and she never understood the other villager's prejudice. She didn't care that this man was a hanyou. All she saw was an incredibly handsome man that held the saddest eyes she had ever seen.

She shook her head 'no'.

He gasped and in a moment of bravery she leaned forward and kissed his cheek. He stiffened and she drew back. 'Did I just kiss him! Gods what is wrong with me? I don't even know him! He must think I am crazy!'

'Did she just kiss me?' His cheek burned from where her lips had touched his skin. His body ached to grab her and hold her close against his body. He couldn't take his eyes off her lips. He _needed_ to kiss her. His every nerve demanded that he kiss her. But she drew back and looked away with obvious embarrassment on her face. He didn't understand her embarrassment. She probably was shocked at herself for actually kissing a monster like him. His face fell and he backed away from her. She looked back at him with rejection etched into her features. 'Rejection?' He was so confused. This woman was going to drive him nuts.

"Wench what's that look on your face?"

She glared at him and opened her mouth to speak before that familiar look of pain took over her face.

He cringed with her because he had caused her pain. 'Baka! Stop asking her questions she can't answer.'

"Sorry. How's your wrist? You took a knock on the head too and your ankle looks sprained. You should probably lie down and rest. I'll look after you while you recover."

She looked up at him with shock. Why was he being so nice to her? He didn't even know her. Again that odd feeling of trust and contentment relaxed her whole body. She took a deep breath and sighed at the scent of him. She nodded and laid down by the fire.

He watched her close her eyes and soon he could hear her breathing even out as sleep took her.

"_You belong to me, my jewel"_

_Kagome was running. Naraku was right behind her. She could feel his evil presence touching her very soul. She felt the purity of the jewel flicker. His evil aura was trying to take over its power. Her lungs burned. She felt something hit her hard from behind and she fell to the forest floor. She flipped over and felt something heavy sitting on her legs. Naraku grabbed her hands in one of his and pinned them above her head. She couldn't move. His ugly red eyes met defiant, angry brown. She looked up at him and spit in his face. She saw his tongue dart out between his lips and lick up the saliva that clung to the side of his mouth. He flashed a terrifying smile and placed his free hand on her chest, above where the jewel was hidden inside her body between her breasts. She could feel his dirty aura reach out to the jewel. She could feel it being tainted from his touch. She saw Sango and her grandmother's face flash before her eyes. They were screaming out in pain. She had failed to protect them. She had failed them._

_She had failed._

She sat up screaming out into the night. Immediately she was aware of a warm body pressed against her back and two strong arms gripping her tightly. She realized she was sitting up with the boy with the adorable ears and golden eyes sitting behind her. She was practically sitting on his lap with her head resting again his chest. She chocked back a sob and buried her head in his chest. She clutched the back of his red haori and cried into him. That dream had been the worst of them all. She hadn't felt like she was reliving the past. She felt like she was envisioning the future. She couldn't let that happen! She needed to protect Sango and grandmother! She shook her head and tried to sit up. The boy wouldn't release his hold on her.

Inuyasha held the crying girl tightly in his arms. It felt so… right to have her here. Tucked against his chest. Almost as if he had been half of something and having her there completed him. He hated when he felt her start to pull away. He couldn't let her go. She looked up at him and what he saw broke his heart. Her eyes were red from crying and her smell was distorted with fear and tears. But as they held one another's gaze and both breathed deeply basking in one another's scent their heartbeats slowed down and matched each other's rhythm. Her features relaxed and she gave him a small smile. He smiled in return and he loosened his grip on her. She laid back down. He sighed and started to wiggle out from behind her when she grabbed his hand. She looked at him sternly and he chuckled. Was she reprimanding him for trying to give her space? Her features shifted and her eyes turned pleading. He looked at her seriously and could almost hear her thoughts.

'Please stay with me. Keep the dreams away.'

He nodded. And laid beside her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and she snuggled into his chest breathing deeply. She fell asleep quickly. He fought to stay awake but her scent pulled him to follow her into slumber.

Inuyasha was awake before the sun had fully risen. He felt the warmth of the girl lying next to him wrapped in his arms. Before he opened his eyes he nuzzled the girl's hair and breathed deeply. Her scent was absolutely intoxicating. The feel of her body lying next to him soothed him and lit him on fire. He was filled with so many different feelings and reactions that he had never felt before. His blood boiled in his veins he had to bite back his demon to remain in control. He carefully released the girl and forcibly pulled his body away from hers. It physically hurt but he walked away towards the forest. He needed to think. He needed to clear his head. He took off at a dead sprint through the trees. He didn't want to go far from the girl so he circled around and leapt onto a tall branch. He couldn't see her from here but he could smell her and hear her if she screamed. That was the other thing. She could scream and she could laugh but she couldn't speak? Why couldn't she speak? Was it a spell? She has obviously had some miko training; he had noticed her sacred arrows and her bow in the clearing. Who could have cursed a trained miko? She must not be a very talented priestess if she could end up unconscious in a field with no voice.

Inuyasha tried to keep his mind clear of the girl and just focus on the facts but he could not shake the image of her sleeping in his arms. He couldn't get passed her scent or her smile. How her eyes were open books, its pages spilling all of her thoughts for him to read. She was so beautiful and so innocent. 'Do I only feel this way because she is the first person to not run away from me? Or try to kill me?' Why wasn't she like everyone else? He had so many goddamn questions! If only she could speak.

Why was he is so interested anyways? Sure she was beautiful. Sure she didn't run from him. But come on! You're still a hanyou. A filthy half-breed. It's only a matter of time. If she could speak I'm sure her words would be just like everyone else's.

'Worthless'

'Vile'

'Evil'

He groaned and covered his ears with his clawed hands. He wanted to get rid of those stupid, fucking voices that kept screaming in his head. He didn't want to hear them anymore.

A rock hit his leg.

He whipped his head around and looked down.

The damn girl was looking up at him smiling sweetly. She beckoned for him to come down. He jumped down and landed right in front of her. She reached up and gave his ears a gentle squeeze. She smirked at him and grabbed his hand pulling him back towards their 'campsite'. He decided he was going to get some answers this morning. When they sat down at their campfire he asked,

"What are you doing out here?"

She looked at him. She paused, thinking. Then she put her hand over her heart and looked at him in a way that made him remember his mother.

"Family?"

Her face lit up with a huge smile. She clapped her hands, being careful of her wrist. She was delighted that he had guessed right. Then she grabbed her bow and knocked an arrow. Inuyasha reacted immediately. He grabbed her hands, she yelped in pain and dropped the bow. He belatedly remembered her wrist and dropped her injured hand. He glared at her and hoped she couldn't sense his betrayal. 'Did she really try to attack me? Why now? I should have known this would happen!'

'Why is he grabbing me?' She was afraid for an instant and then realized what went wrong. She looked up at him and shook her head 'no'. She remembered something her grandmother had taught her about inu-youkai, which she assumed was this boy's demon half considering his ears. She tried to show the boy that she trusted him, her grandmother told her that inu-youkai respond to displays of submission and dominance. So Kagome tilted her head to the side revealing her long neck. She whined a little and looked into the boy's eyes pleading with him to trust her. He leaned down and in his own display of dominance nipped her neck, not enough to draw blood; it was almost like a little reprimand. She smiled and he released her.

The girl did the last thing in the world he predicted. She turned her head and revealed her neck in an obvious display of submission. Seeing her like that set his inner demon on fire. He roared, demanding that Inuyasha take this woman, to dominate her. But the girl was looking at him with so much trust in her beautiful, brown eyes. He took a deep breath and her scent soothed the demon within. Inuyasha, driven completely by instinct, leaned forward and nipped the woman's neck letting her know that he accepted her submission.

She made the motion for 'family' again with her hand. Then she put her fists up like she was preparing to strike him. He held his reactions in check this time realizing that she was only trying to communicate something.

"Fight? You're fighting your family?"

She looked at him like he was insane.

He grinned. "Okay, you're fighting _for _your family?"

She smiled and nodded.

"Then why are you in the forest alone? Who are you fighting?"

Her expression darkened. She stared off as her thoughts turned to that evil monster that was threatening her family. That had ruined everything she had known. She felt a gentle caress on her cheek. She looked up and met molten gold. She felt her knees go a little weak but she didn't show it. 'Gods what is wrong with me? How can he have such an effect on me I don't even know his name!'

"Is he in your nightmares?"

She nodded. He spoke before he could even think.

"I'll protect you. He will never touch you."

Her heart thundered in her chest. Her blood raced. She knew he would be able to hear it. She couldn't believe this man. He was unlike anyone she had ever met.

He could hear her heart hammer away, the sound made his own heart race to keep up. Why was she reacting so strongly? Did I frighten her? Probably.

The girl again distracted him from his negative thoughts by poking him in the chest and then quirking her head to the side with a quizzical look on her face. He looked back at her confused. She poked him again. He didn't get it. So she reached her hand out. He had seen other people shake hands but nobody had ever offered to shake his clawed fingers. He looked down at her tiny, outstretched hand and he didn't know what to do. She smiled up at him patiently. She reached out and grabbed his calloused hand and shook it gently. Then without releasing him she poked his chest again.

Finally understanding he gave her the answer she wanted.

"Inuyasha."

Her eyelashes fluttered and he heard her heart start to race again. He could feel her hand start to heat up and he felt his own pulse quicken in response. He desperately wanted to know this girl's name. He would stay human for an entire month if he could discover her name.

"I want to know your name."

She looked up at him sadly. She wanted him to know her name too. She wanted to hear him say it. She wanted to see his velvety lips move around each syllable. She'd give anything for him to know it.

He smirked. "Is it Ayumi?"

She crinkled her nose and shook her head 'no'.

"Yuri?"

'no'.

"Rin?"

'no'.

And that is how they passed the day. Inuyasha said every name he could possibly think of. He even made some up. They fished for breakfast while he guessed names. They took a long walk through the forest while he guessed names. He watched as she practiced her archery while he guessed names. They cleaned rabbits that he caught for dinner while he guessed names. They ate while he guessed names. Finally as her eyes started to droop she came to sit next to him. She pulled him down next to her and they cuddle together, sharing one another's warmth. They lied there together neither feeling any awkwardness about holding each other in their sleep. Kagome needed protection from the nightmares and Inuyasha wanted nothing more than to protect her. Kagome's eyes were starting to close. Inuyasha could feel her falling asleep in his arms and he loved the feel of her. Then he started to remember an old song he had heard some of the kids from his childhood village sing before. Something about being a bird in a cage and guessing who was behind you. What was the name in that song again?

"Kagome..?"

She tensed in his arms. Her heart nearly stopped. His breath tickled her neck as he whispered her name. She looked up to meet his eyes. She stared at him and she felt her heart melt. She couldn't help it, her body moved on its own accord. She leaned into him and tilted her head up. She closed her eyes and brushed her lips gently across his own.

Her lips touched his and his body caught fire. He pulled her hard against him and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. He rolled them so that she was pressed into the ground. She gasped and he opened his mouth to breath in her scent. He needed to taste her. His tongue escaped and gently teased her bottom lip. She responded with her own and their tongues danced. 'Gods she tastes as good as her scent.'

Kagome's heart was racing. Her blood thundered through her veins. Her body was screaming for his. Everywhere their bodies touched was humming with electricity. He tasted incredible. She flicked his fangs with her tongue. She whimpered when he pulled away to look into her eyes.

"Kagome.. what's happening to us?"

She wanted so badly to tell him everything. Everything that was happening to her. All the passion she felt for him, the fear for her family, the terror that Naraku might find her. She wanted him to know everything about her. She trusted him, this stranger, more than she ever trusted another man. She desperately wanted him to know her. Stupid unwanted tears surfaced to spoil the mood.

Inuyasha looked down at the woman beneath him. She looked so beautiful, so intense, so .. everything. Everything about his world had shifted. Everything about him had changed making room for this.. for Kagome. She had become the center of his existence in a few short days. How could this be? He really didn't care. He didn't care what it was as long as he could have it forever.

"Kagome… I feel.. I can't describe it. I've never felt like this. What have you done to me?"

She smirked at him and playfully nipped his bottom lip. His eyes blazed. He held her face between his rough palms and kissed her fiercely; his thumbs wiping away the tears that had left wet tracks down her face. His hands slid down her neck and down the sides of her body. He had the hard, calloused hands of a man that worked for what he had. A deserving man. She moaned as his fingers grazed the sides of her breasts. She reached up and gently massaged his ears. He made a noise deep within his chest that sounded very much like a purr. She smiled against his lips and tried not to giggle.

"Oi wench, what are you laughing at?"

She rubbed the base of his ear softly and he purred again. She looked into his eyes and giggled again.

"Not fair. Ka-go-me."

She loved it when he said her name. She loved that he had tried so hard to guess it all day. She loved that he succeeded. She loved his ears. She loved his voice. She loved… Inuyasha.

She hardly knew him but she knew she loved him. His soul was her match. She looked up into his eyes and knew that everything was visible in them for him to read. She _needed_ him to know.

He looked down at the woman below him when he said her name. Nothing sounded more natural then saying her name. He still couldn't believe he had guessed it. But he never would have given up. She was looking at him with eyes that were shouting something. Her eyes were smoldering. They were lit with the fire of passion. He could see that clearly but there was something else. As he stared into her eyes he felt his heart stutter. This woman had the power to stop his very heart with a look. He had never wanted to give any piece of himself to anyone. Everyone always spurned him or turned away. Nobody but his mother had ever cared. Nobody had looked at him with love or adoration. But he could swear he saw both in Kagome's eyes. No he never wanted to give himself to anyone. But then this woman comes into his life and before he knows it she has every bit of him. Dammit.

"I'm yours, wench."

She looked up at him with tears in her eyes… and nodded.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

Thanks for reading! I am trying to finish the story tonight so that you guys don't have to wait. I personally hate waiting for people to update so I am trying to get it done now! I just didn't want to leave you with such a cliff hanger. Sorry for the short chapter!

_This woman had the power to stop his very heart with a look. He had never wanted to give any piece of himself to anyone. Everyone always spurned him or turned away. Nobody but his mother had ever cared. Nobody had looked at him with love or adoration. But he could swear he saw both in Kagome's eyes. No he never wanted to give himself to anyone. But then this woman comes into his life and before he knows it she has every bit of him. Dammit._

"_I'm yours, wench."_

_She looked up at him with tears in her eyes… and nodded. _

Inuyasha woke the next morning with the memory of the night before dancing in his head. He couldn't keep a goofy grin off his face. He lay naked holding an equally naked and gorgeous woman in his arms. His hakama wrapped around them keeping them warm. She also had a small smile teasing her lips as she slept peacefully. He was happy to say that she had not woken up from any nightmares and the idea that he might be helping to keep them away made his body sing with pride.

He kissed her neck and licked the swollen mark he had given her the night before. He swallowed. Choking on the all-consuming feelings he had for this woman.

"Mate..." he whispered into her neck.

She turned to face him and nuzzled his neck. Her eyes fluttered open and looked into his molten depths. She saw complete and utter love reflected back at her. Her hand went to the place on her chest where the jewel rested. It had begun to glow a soft pink last night after they had mated. She didn't fear for one second that their actions would taint the jewel. She knew that what they were doing was nothing but perfect and pure. Their love strengthened the jewel. She grabbed one of his clawed hands and placed it on her chest. The jewel glowed again and his eyes widened.

Inuyasha felt a surge of energy when he laid his hand on Kagome. His body tensed for a second but then relaxed completely to bask in the pure energy. Just like Kagome's scent the power soothed his demon and gave him a surge of strength. He looked to Kagome, hoping for some kind of explanation. Was this her natural miko abilities? He had never seen a power like this before. She pushed him over so that he was lying on his back. She rested heavily on top of him. Their bodies molding against one another. She leaned down and kissed him slowly and passionately. Her hair tickling his neck. She pulled away and smiled lazily at him. She leaned over to his left and started to draw in the dirt next to them. He tilted his head to watch her but continued to hold her tightly against him. She drew a small circle and then pointed to her chest. She drew light radiating off the jewel and then smiled widely at him. A pure, lovely smile. Then she frowned and her brow furrowed. She started to shade in the circle she'd made and drew what looked like miasma radiating off of the drawing. She looked back at him and he could see tears shimmering in her sad eyes.

He did not completely understand but he could feel that the energy inside of her was pure. But she was afraid that something would change the power to something… bad. Something that would make her unhappy. And that was all he needed to know. If it would make her sad or if it would hurt her he would do anything in his power to make sure that it didn't happen.

"I won't let that happen. I promise Kagome. You have had me since the moment I saw you. I don't know what this feeling is; I have never experienced this before. All I know if that you are mine. And I will protect what's mine with my life."

She looked down at him with such pride. He was momentarily shocked by what he saw in her eyes. His mother had always looked at him with love and kindness and protectiveness, but she was his mother and he was only a child. Nobody had ever looked at him like this before. Nobody had ever looked at him with such respect.

Kagome could not believe that such a man existed. Such a strong and faithful man.

And he was hers.

She leaned down and kissed him with all the love and passion and pride she felt in that moment. He was her life now. She had everything taken away from her. Her whole family, her entire life. But Sango and grandmother were safe. And honestly she had never been happier. Inuyasha and her would be together and create a new life together. She smiled widely against his lips and crushed him closer to her.

Eventually their stomachs forced them to get up and hunt for breakfast. Kagome fished while Inuyasha started to ascertain their situation. Was she going to stay here with him? How long did they have together? He was momentarily wracked with physical pain at the thought of her leaving him. He closed his eyes and whimpered doing everything he could to stop himself from running out in the river to grab her and never let go. She must have heard him though because in a few seconds he could feel her arms winding around his stomach and her chest pressed against his back. She rested her head between his shoulder blades and he heard her take a deep breath. He breathed deeply as well and then moved to pull her down to a seated position on his lap. He looked in her eyes and tried to gather his courage. He couldn't bring himself to ask the question aloud so he looked down at the ground and started to draw with a clawed hand.

He drew a rough sketch of what looked to Kagome to be a hut of some sort. He then looked back into her eyes and tilted his head to the side with a quizzical but pleading expression. His life was hanging on her answer. 'Gods when did I become so dependent on this woman?'

She suddenly understood what he was asking. She shook her head 'yes' so vigorously she almost felt dizzy.

"You'll live with me then? You'll let me provide you with a home?"

She answered him with a hard, chaste kiss on his lips. He grabbed the back of her neck; he tilted her head and opened her mouth with his lips. He deepened the kiss and shivered when he heard her moan. He bit back a growl and nipped her bottom lip. Things would have probably progressed like they had that morning if he wasn't distracted by the sound of her stomach demanding attention. She giggled and he moved to stand pulling her up with him.

She went back to fishing and he was too excited to wait. He ran through the forest, staying within earshot of her in case she slipped on another damn rock. He started cutting down trees for their future home.

They soon developed a smooth routine. She would fish for breakfast and gather water from the river. He would work on their new hut and would hunt for dinner. She would cook the meals and tend to the fire. After a few weeks she even readied a section of the land near their future home for a small garden.

It had been nearly a month since they had mated and Inuyasha was working on arranging the roof of their hut. He had never built a home before so it had taken him some time and lots of trial and error to make a supportive structure. He had removed his hakama because the days were becoming hotter. He was sweating and getting frustrated with a particular section of the building.

Kagome was planting some seeds saved from herbs she had found around their new home. She was on her hands and knees, she had dirt under her nails and her hair was sticking to her sweaty neck. She leaned back and sat on her feet. She saw Inuyasha on their roof working furiously with his materials. She could tell by the tension in his bare back that he was frustrated. She smiled at the sight of him sweating and she felt a familiar feeling pool in her lower belly. She touched her hot neck with her small fingers, imagining his calloused rough hands, she shivered. She felt incredibly hot all the sudden. She didn't want to distract Inuyasha so she walked to the river and splashed water on her neck. She couldn't seem to get cool and her head was starting to throb. She drank some water hoping to rid herself of her headache and went back to work.

"Damn, fucking roof! Keh!" Inuyasha jumped off the building he had been working tirelessly to finish for his mate. He looked over his shoulder and watched her bent figure working on her little garden. His frustration immediately ebbed as he walked over to the woman.

"Wench, let's take a break. I'm hungry and that baka hut is pissing me off."

She looked up at him and smiled sweetly making his heart flutter. She moved to stand up but before she could find her balance she felt light headed and she would have fell if Inuyasha hadn't caught her in his arms. The girl in his arms was hot. No, she was burning up. Her eyes were fluttering closed and her breathing was labored. Inuyasha touched her forehead tenderly with his clawed hands.

"Gods Kagome you're burning up."

She shook her head and pushed him away. She went to the fire and sat back on her feet. Her head was throbbing and she was slicked with sweat. She had almost fainted. Stupid heat making her look weak in front of her strong mate. She poked the fire and added more wood. She checked the fish that were cooking and satisfied she motioned for Inuyasha to come and eat. He sat next to her but not too close. He wanted to watch her. He was really worried. Her skin had felt like fire. She was sweating much more than usual and her eyelids were drooping. She was usually a fireball of energy and it was only midday. He watched her take a bite of her fish and chew it slowly. All of the sudden she started coughing. She dropped her fish and bent over with the force of her coughs. He rushed to her side and placed a gentle hand on her back. He pushed her up to a sitting position as her body shook. She didn't stop coughing for several minutes. She had her mouth covered with her tiny hand the whole time. Inuyasha was starting to really worry and then he smelled Kagome's blood. His demon flared within him and he had to close his eyes to steady himself before he asked,

"Kagome? Are you alright? Are you in pain? I smell blood."

She was trembling as she pulled her hand from her mouth. Her hand was covered in blood. She turned to look at him and he saw blood hanging on her lips and coating her teeth. She was looking back and forth from her bloody hand to his eyes. She looked terrified. He reached up and touched the side of her face.

"Don't worry mate. I'll take care of you."

He pulled on her hand and picked her up cradling her to his chest. The hut was nearly finished and they had been sleeping inside on furs for the last few nights. He carried her to their bed and laid her down. Her eyes closed and she was asleep before she even hit the furs. He moved the hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. He was still shaking when he gathered some cloth and dipped it in the water bucket near their bed. He cleaned her face and hand of blood then lay beside her holding her. He was so scared. He had never seen anyone cough blood before. He felt her tremble in her sleep and he held her tighter.

Kagome had been drifting in and out of sleep for several days. When she was awake she told Inuyasha of several herbs she thought that might help her but she hadn't encountered something like this in her time at her village. He did as she told him too and even tried an elixir that his mother had made for him when was sick as a child. Nothing seemed to be working. Kagome wouldn't eat anything and made her to drink water. Inuyasha forced himself to eat but everything tasted like tree bark. He was so worried about his mate that he hadn't been able to sleep all week. He just watched her toss and turn. She hadn't had any nightmares since they had mated but now her body was wracked with intense fever and pain. He didn't know what to do anymore. On the seventh day she woke up and she felt weaker than ever. She couldn't even sit up. Inuyasha helped her drink and tried to get her to eat. She looked up at him with frightened, tired eyes. He pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"Kagome what do I do? Please... what do I do?"

She tried to give him a weak smile and brushed her lips against the side of his mouth. Then she closed her eyes and fell asleep again.

She hadn't woken up and it had been 3 days. He even tried to shake her awake but she didn't respond. Her breathing was terrifyingly shallow and her heart was beating much too slow. Inuyasha was going out of his mind with worry. He knew he needed to wake her soon. She hadn't had any water in three days. If she didn't wake up soon…

"Kagome please! Mate please wake up!" He growled and pressed his forehead to hers. He didn't know what else to do. He had to save her. He decided quickly and started gathering supplies. He put out the fire and picked her up and cradled her small body against his chest. He always avoided villages because humans feared him and attacked him whenever he got too close. He didn't know which village Kagome came from so he couldn't go to her family for help. But he knew that there was a village about 40 miles downriver and that there were priestesses there that might be able to help her. He was out of options he had to get her help.

"Don't worry Kagome. I'll protect you." He held his soul mate tight as he took off through the forest.


End file.
